The Indian Air Force (IAF) has begun the process of acquiring around 150 next-generation advanced jet trainers as it moves to modernise the final stage of fighter pilot training and gradually replace its ageing Hawk Mk-132 fleet.
The Ministry of Defence has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to Indian and global aerospace companies for the proposed trainer aircraft. The requirement is aimed at acquiring a modern platform capable of providing advanced training to pilots before they transition to frontline fighter squadrons.
The proposed acquisition is significant because the IAF’s Stage-III training currently relies heavily on the Hawk Mk-132 Advanced Jet Trainer. Around 98 Hawk aircraft form the existing fleet, with the type having been in service for nearly two decades. The new programme is therefore intended to create a long-term replacement with improved training capabilities suited to the increasingly sophisticated aircraft entering and planned for the Indian fighter fleet.
Beyond the aircraft themselves, the requirement includes advanced simulation and networked training capabilities, including Live Virtual Constructive (LVC) systems. Such technologies can allow trainee pilots to practise complex combat scenarios in a controlled environment while integrating live aircraft with simulated and computer-generated elements.
The new trainer is expected to bridge the gap between basic and intermediate flying instruction and operational fighter aircraft. This will become increasingly important as the IAF prepares pilots to operate platforms such as the Rafale, Tejas and future-generation combat aircraft.
India’s indigenous aerospace industry could also have an opportunity in the programme. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has previously developed trainer aircraft for the IAF and has proposed advanced concepts including the HLFT-42, a supersonic lead-in fighter trainer designed with future fighter training requirements in mind. HAL’s HJT-36, now known as Yashas, is being pursued for the preceding stage of training but is not the same requirement as the new Stage-III advanced trainer programme.
The acquisition, however, is expected to be a long-term programme rather than an immediate replacement. Reports indicate that the tender process is currently projected to progress over the coming years, meaning the selected aircraft may not begin reaching IAF training bases until the mid-2030s.
The move comes as the IAF seeks to maintain a steady pipeline of highly trained fighter pilots while its combat fleet evolves. With the number and complexity of India’s future fighter platforms increasing, a modern advanced trainer equipped with contemporary avionics, simulation and networked training systems could play an important role in preparing pilots for the operational environment of the next decade.
The 150-aircraft requirement therefore represents more than a replacement for the Hawk fleet. It is part of the IAF’s broader effort to modernise its pilot-training architecture and ensure that future fighter pilots are introduced to advanced cockpit systems, mission environments and combat concepts before joining frontline squadrons.